Economic Policy

Ireland’s rapid shift from economic success story to recession casualty left many to rethink the country’s relationship to Europe. However, Irish Governance in Crisis argues that the downturn in the economy exposed failures in governance within the country itself which remain resistant to change. The book’s focus on these systemic problems, finds Mary Murphy, offers an important, but depressing lesson for those interested in meaningful and effective reform. […]

The spread of capitalism and the creation of a global economy led to unprecedented prosperity, but also great inequality, by the start of the twentieth century. Richard Pomfret argues that consequences of the industrial revolution still dominate long-term economic and political developments, and that while the extent of government involvement is, rightly debated, the principle that it is the role […]

One of the key problems that the newly elected French president François Hollande will have to tackle is France’s weak and falling export competitiveness. Bob Hancké suggests that this may not be quite as simple as some observers suggest: a large part of France’s economic policy-making has, due to the European monetary union (EMU), moved to Berlin – even before the […]

Vassilis Monastiriotis argues that while the popularity of François Hollande may signal that the growth agenda is gaining currency in Europe, Greece still faces significant difficulties. In light of the country’s looming elections, he argues that the internal problems and pressures that helped lead Greece into the current crisis mean that significant structural reforms are still needed if the country […]

Chris Gilson takes a look at the week in Brussels blogging. The EU Centre After Argentina’s recent expropriation of the Spanish energy firm, YPF, NpThinking, looks at the policy issues and the European Parliament’s response, while the Fride Blog maintains that the current Ibero-American rhetoric needs to be replaced with a Spanish foreign policy towards Latin America. This week, the Stokholm+40 […]

The first round of France’s presidential elections resulted in a narrow lead for Socialist leader François Hollande over the incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy and an unexpectedly high result for the National Front candidate Marine Le Pen. As part of our continuing series on the French elections, Maurice Fraser looks forward to the second round of the election on 6 May, arguing […]

Considering the developments and reforms that occurred under Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero between 2004 and 2008, Bonnie N. Field and contributors analyze the patterns of continuity and change and provide a critical evaluation of the concept of a ‘second transition’. Sebastian Balfour finds the title problematic, but praises the book for restoring balance to the almost uniformly negative judgements in the […]

As part of EUROPP’s continuing series on the 2012 French presidential elections, Françoise Boucek looks at the economic policies of the two main candidates, incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist leader François Hollande, and finds that they both perpetuate the myth that France’s post-war social model can continue with only minor changes in the face of rising government debt and […]

In May’s presidential elections, France faces a choice between the incumbent centre right candidate Nicolas Sarkozy, and the socialist, François Hollande. As the race narrows, Maurice Fraser looks at both candidates and the likely impacts their election might have on France’s domestic, EU and foreign policies. Whoever wins the election and becomes president, France is certain to retain its very […]

Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban recently denounced the EU’s policies towards Hungary as ‘colonialism’, after the EU suspended nearly half a billion Euro in funding over its massive budget deficit. Abby Innes takes a close look at Hungary’s recent decline from a country known for its reform policies to one which is now mired in economic crisis and increasingly extreme […]

Set up to support former communist countries in their transitions to the free market, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development now faces a renewed mandate to assist the Arab Spring countries in their path to democracy and free markets. In the first of two blogs, Thomas Mirow, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, warns that despite the […]

Tim Leunig offers his predictions for growth in the Eurozone in 2012, arguing that without significant intervention by Germany, in the form of pay rises for all workers, the Eurozone may well start to collapse. The world economy will grow in 2012, but growth will be largely confined to developing nations. Their ability to grow even when developed economies are […]

The recent crisis of the Greek economy, and the threat of its withdrawal from the Eurozone, was only averted by the rejection of a referendum on the EU bail-out and the resignation of the country’s prime minister. Kevin Featherstone argues that, while the situation has now stabilised, instability and uncertainty still remain. European and global economic institutions will be keeping […]